Naked, beneath cool shades, they lay, Enjoyment waited on Desire, Nor could a Wish set Pleasure higher. Are never of Joys secure : And none but dull Delights endure. The nobler Tribute of my Heart, You love me for a frailer Part. a Give me Leave to rail at you, All besides but weakly move, And clips the Wings of flying Love. Upon Leaving his Mistress 'Tis not that I am weary grown You, whom some kinder Pow'r did fashion Let meaner Spirits of your Sex See, the kind Seed receiving Earth ABSENT from thee I languish still, Then ask me not, when I return? The straying Fool 'twill plainly kill To wish all Day, all Night to mourn. Dear, from thine Arms then let me fly, That my fantastic Mind may prove The Torments it deserves to try, That tears my fixed Heart from my Love. When, wearied with a World of Woe, To thy safe Bosom I retire, May I, contented, there expire. Lest once more wandering from that Heaven, I fall on some base Heart unblessed, Faithless to thee, false, unforgiven, And lose my everlasting Rest. To his Mistress WHY dost thou shade thy lovely Face? O why The Sunshine of the Sun's enlightening Eye? Without thy Light what Light remains in me? Thou art my Life; my Way, my Light's in thee ; I live, I move, and by thy Beams I see. Thou art my Life-if thou but turn away My Light thou art-without thy glorious Sight Thou art my Way; I wander if thou fly. My Eyes are dark and blind, I cannot see : If I have lost my Path, dear Lover, say, My Path is lost, my wandering Steps do stray; Whom should I seek but thee, my Path, my Way? And yet thou turn'st away thy Face and fly'st me! And yet I sue for Grace and thou deny'st me! Speak, art thou angry, Love, or only try'st me? Thou art the Pilgrim's Path, the blind Man's Eye, The dead Man's Life. On thee my Hopes rely : If I but them remove, I surely die. Dissolve thy Sunbeams, close thy Wings and stay ! See, see how I am blind, and dead, and stray ! -Oh thou that art my Life, my Light, my Way! Then work thy Will! If Passion bid thee flee, My dear Mistress has a Heart, Soft as those kind Looks she gave me, And her Eyes she did enslave me. She's so wild and apt to wander, Should we live one day asunder. Melting Joys about her move, Killing Pleasures, wounding Blisses, And her Lips can warm with Kisses. She's my Delight, all Mankind's Wonder, Should we live one day asunder. WHILE on those lovely Looks I gaze, To see a Wretch pursuing, His pleasing happy Ruin ; His Fate is too aspiring, But if this Murder you'd forego, Your Slave from Death removing, Let me your Art of Charming know, Or learn you mine of Loving ; But, whether Death or Life betide, In Love 'tis equal Measure ; The Victor lives with empty Pride, The Vanquish'd die with Pleasure. A Dialogue Strephon PRITHEE, now, fond Fool, give o'er ; Since my Heart is gone before, To what Purpose should I stay? Love commands another Way. Daphne Perjur'd Swain, I knew the Time When Dissembling was your Crime ; In Pity now employ that Art, Which first betray'd, to ease my Heart. Strephon Daphne |